Schools

Derek Gerken tapped as Re-3 School Board president

Teri Lapp takes seat on board, Todd Schneider re-seated

By Jenni Grubbs

Times Staff Writer

Posted:
12/05/2017 05:49:11 PM MST

Connie Weingarten oversees the signing of the oaths of office just taken by sworn-in Re-3 School Board members Derek Gerken, Teri Lapp and Todd Schneider. This was one of Weingarten's final duties as the school board president, with her switching chairs later in the meeting with Gerken, who was elected the school board's new president. (Jenni Grubbs / Fort Morgan Times)

The results of the Nov. 7 Re-3 Board of Education election played out Monday night, as the school board formally reorganized.

Connie Weingarten started the meeting off as the school board president.

"Tonight's an exciting night," she said. "We get to welcome our new member and two returning members."

Weingarten then swore in Teri Lapp, who was newly elected to the board, and re-elected board members Derek Gerken and Todd Schneider.

Re-3 Superintendent Ron Echols then thanked Dr. David Keller, who had completed his four-year term on the school board. Keller chose not to run for re-election. Echols also presented him with a plaque.

Re-3 Superintendent Ron Echols, right, recognizes Dr. David Keller, who completed his four-year term on the Re-3 Board of Education on Monday night. Keller chose not to run for re-election to another term. (Jenni Grubbs / Fort Morgan Times)

"It's been a great four years," Keller said, pointing to how well the district's staff had done over that time even with the cutbacks in funding from the state that the school board had to implement. "We've been able to accomplish a lot."

Keller then left the board room, with Weingarten joking that "he said his car's still running out there."

Next up, Weingarten presided over the election of a new school board president, with Gerken getting the sole nomination and being elected 6-0.

Gerken and Weingarten then changed seats, and he took over running the meeting, calling for nominations for school board vice president.

Weingarten nominated Loren Sharp, and there were no further nominations. Sharp was elected 6-0.

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Then Gerken called for appointment of the board treasurer, and Sharp nominated Schneider. The roll-call vote on Schneider's appointment was 6-0, although Board Secretary Karen Temple got a bit mixed up at first, asking for Keller's vote instead of Lapp's.

The board also re-appointed Temple as its secretary, and then board members were appointed to various standing committee assignments.

Other action

With the re-organization concluded, Gerken proceeded with the rest of the meeting agenda.

The board approved spending about $48,068 on six Chromebook carts for the Fort Morgan High School Social Studies Department.

"This is their curricular adoption," Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Assessment Dr. Rena Frasco told the school board. "In lieu of purchasing textbooks, they are buying Chromebooks and building digital materials."

James Wilson, FMHS social studies department chair, said that the digital materials they create then could be turned into PDF's or even printed out as paper books if needed, although he did not expect that to be necessary.

"Very few kids wouldn't have access," he told the Fort Morgan Times, pointing to the near-ubiquity of having either smartphones or internet access - or both - at home for FMHS students.

Wilson teaches psychology and current issues at FMHS and said that digital textbooks and learning materials are "the way the future's going to go. We'll be able to provide much more interactive materials."

Fellow FMHS social studies teacher Greg Edson told the Times, "The last time I used an actual textbook in my classroom was three years ago," since so much changes so quickly.

Both Wilson and Edson said that this way, they can keep up with those changes and have teaching materials that would be both relevant and interactive.

"It sounds exciting," Gerken told Wilson and Edson. "Come back and let us know how it works."

The board also approved:

• Three new policies on sixth reading, including ones on: staff conduct and responsibilities (GBEB and GBEB-R) and staff dress code (GBEAB). The staff conduct policy changes were recommended by the Colorado Association of School Boards and required by law, according to Temple.

• Making a change to the 2017-17 school calendar, with no school to be held on April 3 so that school district staff will be able to participate in a state-wide emergency preparedness drill withe Colorado National Guard and local agencies; this adds an extra day to spring break for the students, Echols said, adding that he couldn't imagine any of the students being upset about that.

• Disposal of a lengthy list of old school district computer and information technology equipment that was either damaged or obsolete. "Since we are a large organization it is against EPA regulations for the district to dispose of this equipment in the county landfill," a school board memo stated. "The obsolete equipment no longer meets our educational needs. This equipment contains lead, mercury, cadmium, chromium, brominated flame retardants and polychlorinated biphenyl, or PCBs. Almost all the items in this equipment processed by a qualified recycler could put these raw materials back into goods for consumers."

• An overnight trip Dec. 15 to 16 for the FMHS Forensics Team to compete in a multi-state tournament in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

• The 2018-19 FMHS Registration Guide.

• Granting a leave of absence to Head Start worker Sara Orozco Martinez, so that she could complete student teaching outside the district as part of getting a bachelor's degree; Human Resources Director Michael Boyer said she intends to return to Re-3 School District after finishing her student teaching, which is why she sought the leave of absence from the school board.

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